A New Ecology: Systems Perspective

A New Ecology: Systems Perspective, Second Edition, gives an overview of the commonalities of all ecosystems from a variety of properties, including physical openness, ontic openness, directionality, connectivity, a complex dynamic for growth and development, and a complex dynamic response to disturbances. Each chapter details basic and characteristic properties that help the reader understand how they can be applied to explain a wide spectrum of current ecological research and environmental management applications.

Contains revised, updated or redeveloped chapters that include the most current research and technologyReviews universal traits of ecosystems from multiple perspectives, giving the reader a complete overview of the systems perspective of ecologyOffers broad examples of ecology as a systems science, from the history of science, to philosophy and the artsBrings together the systems perspective in a framework of four columns for greater understanding, including thermodynamics, network theory, hierarchy theory and biochemistryContains new chapter on the application of the theory to environmental management

1. Introduction 2. Ecosystems have Openness (Thermodynamic) 3. Ecosystems have Ontic Openness 4. Ecosystems have Connectivity 5. Ecosystems as self-organizing Hierarchies 6. Ecosystems have Directionality 7. Ecosystems have Complex Dynamics (Growth and Development) 8. Ecosystems have Complex Dynamics (Disturbance and Decay) 9. Ecosystem Principles have Broad Explanatory Power in Ecology 10. Ecosystem Principles have Ecological Applications 11. Ecosystems carry important messages to Managers and Policy Makers 12. Conclusion 13. References